Under His Influence (Love Under Lockdown)

Chapter One - Jonna

I woke up and pinched myself, still thinking I had to be dreaming.

But no. The TV was still on from the night before, when I had fallen asleep watching some comedy re-run.

I was awake and this was real.

I couldn’t believe I had gotten the internship at the record label. And that I was going to be working for the one and only Seth Black.

Since this was reality and not a dream, I had to focus on my plan.

Yes, the news was saying that there was a new pandemic— a virus called Covid-19 that was getting worse and that might cause strict restrictions or lockdowns— but I turned the TV off, not wanting to hear any doom and gloom today.

Today, I was concentrating on the things right in front of me.

Leave early.

That was the plan, jotted out in black ink on bright yellow Post-it notes plastered all over my apartment. Just in case I was at risk of forgetting, which, considering my excitement, was unlikely. But still, it was my first day at my new internship and there was no way in hell I was going to be late.

I’d been so surprised to get the call letting me know I had been selected. I had no doubt about my credentials, certain I could do as well as anyone else.

It was just that everyone and their mother who had any interest in music wanted this internship, and they had to have had some amazing credentials, too. There were over fourteen hundred applicants. That number was made all the more impressive by the fact that the position was an unpaid internship.

Such was the influence that Seth Black and Suspicious Activity Records possessed. It was almost like a superpower. Particularly in the Pacific Northwest, where they had surpassed even Sub Pop as the biggest small label going. Until that ‘small label’ grew to the point that ‘huge’ was the only accurate way to describe it.

But somehow, I had been the one selected. And now was my chance to catapult from intern to paid employee, which was my goal.

My heart soared with pure hope. My sister Stephanie had been out of town on business when I got the job, but she had told me that this was my one chance, and I knew she was right. I checked my phone and saw that she had sent me a “thumbs up” emoji in response to the “fingers crossed” emoji I had sent her last night before drifting off.

You’ve got this, she texted me along with the emoji. Don’t worry.

I did my best to listen to my wise sister’s advice.

I got dressed as I’d planned the night before in an outfit that I hoped would scream “appreciative fan and grateful intern” rather than “desperate to impress.”

It had the name of Seth Black’s band on it: Autumn Corrosion.

He had risen to stardom as a musician before starting the record label for which I was about to intern.

And I loved listening to his music. Autumn Corrosion was still my favorite band. So, I thought the t-shirt was a good idea to wear, a nod in homage to him.

I had my bag ready and waiting by the door and my keys above it. A package of Pop-Tarts was standing ready beside the toaster.

I had even made sure to check the oil and gas level in my car, while also ensuring the gas can was full. Everything was ready. There was absolutely nothing that could go wrong.

After jumping up and down in a few jumping jacks to get my adrenaline flowing, I tied back my already-washed hair with an elastic band that had already been on my wrist. Plunking my breakfast into the toaster, I did the short round trip from the door for my bag and keys, back to the kitchen.

Just moments after I entered the room, the toaster popped cheerfully, and I carefully plucked the hot pastry from its coils. Breakfast in hand, I was in the dew-chilled car before the sun was fully visible.

All the other drivers on the road must have been fucking insomniacs. Or real go-getters who loved their jobs more than they loved sleep. That was the only way my mind could fathom getting stuck in a traffic jam at that early hour.

It was a time of the morning when most sane people were still in bed. Or so I’d been led to believe. I didn’t mind not being sane if it meant I got to work on time. Turned out I had company on the crazy train.

Despite the remarkable lack of movement, my motor was on, lest I miss the opportunity to move up another blessed foot. I dipped into the collection of CDs in my glovebox, which held as many pieces from my extensive collections as I felt safe carrying in the car.